Within Branches
by Narisia
Summary: Haldir upsets a trainee for the Guard of Lorien, and finds a completely new person when she returns years later. The only sparks flying so far are from blades. R&R!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Tolkien's characters belong in no way to me, however, I do have a few of those cute little Elflings, some Not-King-Yet's, and a few Furry- footed friends hidden in some cages. Nari is mine, however. : D

Prologue  
  
She was at her post. One of the usual mornings, sky clear, crisp, but the air colder, as winter was approaching, but altogether comforting as any other day in the wondrous realm that was Lothlòrien. Now, as a rule, her position required the utmost vigilance, and attention to detail, every movement to be noted and scrutinized in that complex mind...but that was not her style this day. Legs hooked over the thin silver branches and hair cascading down in a chestnut waterfall, this guard was interested in nothing but how long she could endure hanging upside down at her post.  
  
"Nari, Nari..." Giving a hard smack to her rear end, he smirked. "Not at all the top guard I would have expected.."  
  
Her rear was the first thing to hit the ground, followed by her back, head, and last, legs, as she tumbled, startled, from her tree. Blinking several times before she could fully register the impact of what had happened, an arm was down jerking her from the ground. A smile, brilliantly white teeth and an I-Got-You demeanor, was the first thing her eyes met as she stood.  
  
"Oh, how you amuse me, dear friend..." Grabbing his pristine hair and arrogant-like pointed ear, she began to drag him around through the woods, all while his clear bell-like laughter filled the spaces between the trees. He grimaced, but chuckled in a good-natured manner, grabbing her arm and jerking it away from his violet-tinged extremity.  
  
"Dear Nari, what a temper you have...as always...But I came to fetch you. Apparently, Sindalis and his arrogant brother snuck past you into my brothers' flet and raided it to nothing but a mess... Now, I find it only too amusing to hear of their misfortune, but Nari, those mischievous Elves could have proved to be something worse...I understand you are just out of training, but this can't go on for much longer, or you will be put back in my care. Nothing serious has occurred, but this has been going on for weeks and I don't want it to take place again. Am I understood?"  
  
Her face went strangely odd and pale, and she nodded, folding her arms tightly over her chest. "Undeniably." She looked at him, tossed up her hood, and leapt up into the tree before her, soon lost among the confusion of branches. He sighed.  
  
Narisia did always have that disposition, he thought later on while treading back to his flet, to take things as the worst thing possible...Her carelessness could cost him much more than his brothers' flet, it could cost the whole city their safety, which was something he would not give allowance to. His calm, azure eyes trailed down to his desk, his face now in his hands, a tired and creased look over his usually flawless features. "She's so young...she has not the wisdom to see what she's doing..."

If he had been allowed, the distressed Guard would have sat there in a stupor of complex reasoning and sympathy for something half of him contradicted, but he was not permitted. A sharp tap on his door and he was up, to go greet his visitor...which turned out to be visitors once the door swung open, two of them...Rumil, and Orophin.

"Brother, we've come to address an issue...once again..." Rumil swept in briskly, set his hands on Haldir's shoulders, and squeezed. "Narisia is out of hand. And we have to do something about it. She's a brilliant guard...she could show me up in any sport, no contest, but her attention span has waned. She pays attention to naught but what she fancies for the moment..Haldir, I'm sorry, but I've gone to the Lady and we've expelled her from the Guard. She agreed, Nari needs some time to grow up."

Haldir blanched, and his heart sunk simultaneously at their news. "Rumil, did you deliver these tidings to her?"

He shifted, before meeting his brother's eyes. "Well..we attempted to..." At the sudden hostility in his brother's eyes, he hurried. "We really did! However, the..the...that impossible wench shot arrows at us when we tried to climb into the tree she was in! My foot will be sore on the job for weeks, Haldir! She is entirely unreasonable and I feel that the Lady's decision was all too well placed. You're so cozy with her, go deliver the news to that..woman." Without another word, nor glance at his brother, he stormed out, positively seething with distress and now, that Haldir noticed, a rather noticeable limp. Orophin followed suit.

Haldir was perfectly content with staying in his flet, safe and secure, without having to face the harsh consequences that would surely come after telling her of these revelations, but it had to be done. Smoothing his tunic and brushing up his shoes, trying anything to delay his final course, he left his flet, thinking that finding this angry maiden would be something of a maze, but eventually he noticed that there was only a singular tree with arrows littered about the base. Shaking off his nerves, he ascended it.


	2. 1: New Arrivals

Chapter One  
New Arrivals  
  
Hot. Pure, sweltering, summer-esque hot, where the leaves droop in defeat and the humidity makes the driest bark sopping wet. And the Marchwarden of Lorien sat at his post, pacing within twelve foot diameter of where his original standing point was. His body, although clothed in numerous garments and undergarments, was easily seen as lithe and slim, yet muscular and firm in his stature. A sharp nose was all that needed to point out his character, and vivid oceanic-tinted eyes seemed to dissect anything that came in his path to the very core. Bow and quiver, elegant and immaculate, crafted by the hands of a skilled worker beyond comprehension, were slung onto his straight, poised back, numerous blades dotting the belt around his waist. His hair was smooth and blonde, unruffled by his gruff task during the hot seasonal wind. Clothing was the color of a green-blue and silver swirled and mixed into the fabric, so that with each movement he blended in with the unique trees that sprung about him.

The woods were quiet; the occasional chirp of an agitated bird was all that was evident as far as signs of life went. Even the Warden was silent, creeping just as stealthy as a cat if not more so, eyes darting about as if they had a bad case of spastic. He was like this always, never wavering for a moment out of that hard, focused demeanor, scanning everything within his keen eyesight, pointed ears perked and taught. As his body slipped around a tree, covertly, a sound rang through the woods that did not resemble the patter of soft squirrel paws. Slowly, as if slowly melting into the bright scenery, a dark, fleeting figure began to take shape. As he watched intently, fear began to grow in his heart, for the shape was one of ominous nature...dark, opaque ebony darkness was the creature, the possibility of a Wraith began to creep into his mind. But a Wraith? In Lorien? Absurd possibility, to say the least, in his mind, and it certainly did not move like those foul creatures. The Nine had not been released for some time, as far as Haldir knew, and he did not suppose they would come now. Infact, when his eyes met with a soft glimmer of green through the brim of the weathered dress, fears of the previous diminished. It grew closer, and with an air of confidence he pronounced it male, whatever it may be, and armed considering the bow and quiver slung over his back, but not a friend of the Elves from the crude make of his weaponry. It's move was almost completely silent, but he noticed it wasn't making no effort to conceal itself. Occasionally a gloved hand slipped out to adjust the deep hood, but that was all that was revealed of the interior of this covert creature. He began to weave in and out of the trees; just a mere whisper of wind for those with untrained eyes...but his intent was far from that of air.  
  
The creature slipped through the wood as if it had all the idea where it was going but not a care in the world where it's destiny was, moving smoothly but steadily between the growth. It's feet were booted, but the leather was worn deep to where holes in the sides were pronounced, he noted with a "Hmph", as was the cloak, he began to realize as it became more in his view. The silence that ensued after his tuts was uneasy, filled with tension, and Haldir couldn't help but slip closer towards the creature in an inconspicuous way, so he thought.  
  
An irritated pipe from the local aviary ricocheted through the woods, and in the moment of distraction that followed, the figure was gone. Haldir spat curses under his breath viciously for his lack of observation and flattened himself against his tree, having been a guardian of Lorien for far too long to not see this trick. He had seen every maneuver, every tactic and move that could possibly be done, and he was fully aware of the move that was about to be preformed...ironically, the surprise technique was not at all a surprise to him.  
  
He began to watch directly ahead, ears perked for sounds behind above and behind him, ready for anything that was to be tried. As he gazed off to the side, only to discover a few creatures slithering off into the shade, a flash of black brought his attention back to the figure.  
  
Whatever it was, man, Orc, elf, it was picking it's way ahead of him like it hadn't even noticed Haldir, stepping over branches lightly...He was beside himself. Springing from his position, his fingers gripped the person's arm tightly, Haldir taking note of the considerable muscle from underneath the cloth, and jerked the thing around to face him. Glaring at the darkness that was made from under it's hood, he cleared his throat. "State your name, race, and business in the Golden Wood."  
  
The creature gave a laugh and clapped Haldir on the shoulder in a man-to- man fashion. "My name is Nonof Yercencern, my race isn't relevant as I am literate and have all of my motor skills, and my business is not to be divulged to the likes of you, else I would have told you." A click of the thing's tongue..which was sharp, he noted...and it was off, leaving the once more speechless Haldir...well...speechless.  
  
He bound after it, slipping in front of it smoothly, and putting his hand on it's chest. "You may not enter the city without first stating your race, name, and business. I pressed this matter upon you once, if I have to do it again you will avert your path." He watched as it tilted it's head, as if considering the matter, before taking Haldir's hand and placing it back down by his side.  
  
"My name is not of any importance, neither is my race nor business. But you are right about something..." Once more he pushed past the heated guard and continued. "I was heading just a bit south of my usual path..so..averting.." The hood slid back a bit and gleaming teeth shone in a full, taunting smile.  
  
With such anger building up inside of him, Haldir caught him by the arm and pulled him back to face him, his eyes burning down into the hood. "If you would please be a gentleman and leave, or face the consequences of your actions."  
  
Once again, his laughter rang, tinted with a bit of amusement. "Gentleman? Hardly, good Sir.." With that he began to walk backwards, calling to Haldir. "If you decide to pursue, I dare say I'll make it a fun cha-"  
  
Before his witty comment could finish, Haldir had knocked an arrow and sent it flying towards the figure, who ducked only barely, so that the arrow ripped through the fabric of it's hood and sent it flying back against the tree, arrow pinning it by only a sliver of cloth. It grabbed it's hood and ripped it from the tree, letting it drop back from his face.  
  
But it...was a girl.  
  
And not just a girl: From what Haldir could see it was a she-elf, mahogany locks falling around it's rather pallid face, and rather large, blue-green eyes. Her lips and cheeks were whipped red from the hot summer wind, and her skin showed no signs of a tan, as if her life had indeed been under that hood. He paused for a moment...perhaps because his ego had been bruised due to his false conclusion based on his "well-toned" sensory abilities...and then walked over to her, ripped his arrow from the tree, and threw it onto the ground. The woman smiled.  
  
"You seem surprised, arrogant-one." She then brought her hand up quick and grabbed his arm, which she also noted did not go without muscle, and tore his bow from his fingers. "I dare you point so much as a finger at me, and see what I do..." Throwing the bow on the ground and releasing his forearm, she stalked off, only to find herself facing up at the sky a moment later, Haldir looked down at her from above, part of her cloak torn in his hand.  
  
"I will not endure that sharp tongue from a woman!" And before he could further his disgust with a look, his eyes focused on her...her odd expression, the paling of her already white skin, and the folding of her arms across her chest, in a tight, protective manner.  
  
She flipped herself off of the forest floor, unsheathing her sword with a viciously livid expression. Extending her arm and tapping the blade under his chin threateningly, she smirked. Every assurance she ever had, every victory that had been hers, accumulated in her mind to make herself so sure of this fight. Against her kin, even. Preparing to draw her blade back, she shot a grim smile.  
  
Haldir swallowed. "Nari?"

* * *

Mystic Nights: Thank you Chele! Your opinion means a lot.

Haldir's Heart and Soul: Nah, I'm not into the whole Mary-Sue thing. Yeah, it's got romance on it but this is based -partly, mind you- off Rp's, so Haldir and Nari's relationship stays purely platonic.

Dust In The Wind: Thank you, I'll update when I can. : D


End file.
